The Penny Paradox
by mariteri
Summary: Penny has a dream and goes to the one man that has all the answers-Sheldon. AU. Shenny. Rated M because I'm covering my bases. I do not own TBBT or any of its characters, nor do I make any money from the posting of this work. Yeah, still bummed about that one.
1. Chapter 1

Hi! This is a reposting of mine from another site ( ). There's nothing incredibly scandalous that I can think of in this story. True, a moment or two of shock, sorrow, and one of complete horror, but no sex. I hope you like it. Please read and review!

**Chapter One**

Penny woke with the start from the dream, sitting up straight in the bed. That dream was so…real. Freaked out and excited at the same time, Penny rushed straight over across the hall without thinking and pounded on the door.

"Sheldon! Sheldon! Sheldon!"

The door was opened up by a glaring physicist, but it wasn't Sheldon. Leonard, still half asleep and cleaning his glasses, looked at her as if she had jumped off the deep end into the same pool of crazy as his roommate. Either that or he couldn't see without his specs—which ever worked.

"Penny, it's three in the morning," he muttered. "What could you possibly want with Sheldon…"

She pushed past him to the white boards, turning to look at him. "Sheldon, where is he?"

"Asleep! That's what I've been telling you!" Frowning he asked, "Are you okay?"

"I had the weirdest dream and I really need to talk to Sheldon about this one," she told him.

"Oh look," Sheldon said, as he joined them in the living room. "It's the cornhusker and the redundant physicist up to their late night shenanigans once again." He tied his robe tighter. "Please don't tell me that I interrupted the early stages of coitus. I've been having such a pleasant night's rest before…"

"Sheldon, I had a dream," she said, going around Leonard to stand in front of his tall roommate. "It was crazy and scary, but damn if it didn't feel real."

Frowning he said, "Dreams have been known to release endorphins…"

"The happy hormones, right?" she asked, looking to Leonard who nodded as to the assessment. "I probably would have said the same thing too, but I'm telling you it was…" She shook her head and just went over to his white board. "He told me that you wouldn't believe this unless I wrote it down exactly. He made me memorize it."

She picked up a pen and began writing out a mathematical formula, going so far as to draw out the diagram as well. She heard Leonard ask Sheldon if what he was seeing was real.

Sheldon breathed, "Oh. My. Lord."

She stepped away from the white board, looking it over. "It looked better in pink." Penny turned to look at the two physicists who stood staring at the board in what could only be called amazement.

"Leonard, a camera," Sheldon whispered, but then turned to see his friend just standing there. "Now, man!"

Leonard rushed out of the room, grabbing the camera and rushing back over and handing it to his friend. Sheldon took it and immediately took pictures of the whiteboard.

"Do you have any idea what you just did?" Leonard asked her.

"He said it was everything," she murmured. "But even being everything, it wasn't the only thing that mattered."

Sheldon's head whipped around and told her, "Sit down and I want to hear about this dream, from beginning to end. Leave nothing out. I want every single detail you can recall and if I can I will milk them from that brain of yours with my bare hands...!"

"Sheldon, don't scare her…"

"Scare her?" He whipped around to Leonard, pointing to the board. "Look at the board and think, Leonard! When in your wildest imaginings did you ever think that Penny, who up until this point her largest equation has been figuring out if she had enough money to pay her bills as well as pay for a new pair of shoes, would come up with that?!" Taking a deep breath, he murmured, "I do believe hot tea is in order. Penelope, if you could please see to the hot water while I get dressed, I'd appreciate it. Leonard, call Raj and Howard. Code Alpha."

Snorting in disbelief he started to ask, "Surely not…"

"Penny, who told you to memorize that theorem in the dream?" he asked, looking straight at his friend the entire time.

Taking a deep breath she whispered, "You did, Sheldon."

_The classroom was empty when she arrived. Sheldon walks in, flicking a look her way, but goes to the whiteboard._

_ "__You've come to haunt me again? One would think you would have better things to do, Penelope," he said tightly with the arrival of his Texas twang to reveal his irritation._

_This only makes her smile, as she gets to her feet. "Why the sour mood, moonpie?"_

_ "__I told you never…" This takes her aback somewhat. This was Sheldon and for that split instant he sounded really angry. But then his head fell, as he whispered in a broken voice. "I can't…I just can't…Why do you haunt me so? Haven't I paid my penitence?"_

_ "__Sheldon? Are you crying?" She went over to him, making him look at her. "You are! Sweetie, don't…" His hands went to her wrists, capturing them._

_ "__You…are...really… here?" he breathed._

_ "__Uh, yeah? I wouldn't be standing…" He pulled her into a long deep kiss that blew her socks straight off, making her sag against him as he wept wildly._

_ "__Don't leave me…" he peppered kisses wildly all over her face. "Don't ever leave me again, Penelope." He kissed her eyes. "My Penny…"_

Raj and Howard were having their usual back and forth banter, as they came up the stairs and into the apartment. Both were exhausted and wanted nothing better than to ignore the phone calls that they had received from Leonard.

"It can't be as important as Leonard said it was!" Howard muttered to Raj who only shrugged.

"I can't say, dude," he murmured. "All I know is that Sheldon was yelling in the background of the phone call. Something about sentimentality spoiling the broth? I didn't realize that sentimentality was an ingredient used in soups here in the United States."

"He's finally gone nuts," the engineer concluded.

"In that case, I'm calling dibs on his office," Raj replied, as they walked into the apartment. "I've earned it after having to work…" And that was the very moment he saw it. "Holy Shiva." He looked over to Leonard. "Please tell me that's what I think it is."

"More than likely, Raj," he answered. "Coffee?"

"Coffee would be great!" Penny exclaimed from the sofa.

"No coffee for you!" Sheldon told her. "It's over stimulating. I need for you to keep on the same keel you have been from the moment you woke up. That means tea…"

"Oh God, Sheldon, my head hurts! I'm tired and I need some coffee," she whined.

"Good! You two are here!" Sheldon said, ignoring her pleas for the hot caffeinated beverage. "We need to get organized." He rubbed his eyes with the heel of his palm. "I'm still half asleep. Doesn't matter. I need several digital voice recorders. I need for one of you to take pictures—I don't care which one of you does what, but we need to get it done now…" Raj took out a note book and took down everything that Sheldon was saying.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Howard asked, looking at the formula. "I've never seen that before."

"No one has," Raj told him as he kept writing, sounding in awe of what was there.

"What is it?"

It was Leonard who came over, handing him a mug of coffee that answered, "I don't know what I'd call it, but I do believe Einstein would have referred to it as the voice of God."

TBC...

There you go, chapter one! Let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

Here's chapter 2! Hope you like it.

Read! Enjoy! Review!

**Chapter Two**

Penny's head was pounding. She needed a coffee, not another tea! It was, of course, Leonard that took pity on her and made the argument that she needed the caffeine.

"It's a drug, Sheldon," he told him. "You know it as well as I do, but she's been drinking coffee for years. If she isn't given the coffee she needs at this point, she'll go through withdrawal…"

"Frak," he muttered, looking at Penny who was now holding her own head and it was clear she was in discomfort. "One mug, but make it a small one with mostly milk."

"Why is Penny here?" Raj asked Leonard who was making her the mug of coffee. "She couldn't possibly have an interest in this."

He stopped and looked at Raj straight in the eyes, telling him, "She's the one that wrote it out."

"What?" Howard joined in. "Are we speaking of the same woman that came to me asking for help working on a pre-algebra question?" Leonard frowned, only to have his friend add on, "She was trying to help her nephew with math."

"I didn't know she helped her nephew out with homework," Leonard breathed.

"Oh yeah, she comes to me all the time asking questions," Raj said.

"Me as well," Sheldon murmured, taking the mug from Leonard. "I told her I didn't help with homework." He took the mug over to Penny, murmuring in a gentle tone, "Here you go, Penny. Sip it slowly." He rubbed her back as she did as he ordered. "That's a girl. Just sip it."

"He should be the first person in my family to go to college," Penny whispered, taking a sip of coffee. "I want better for him than I have." She looked into Sheldon's blue eyes. "Is that so wrong?"

"No, it isn't," he told her solemnly. "Not wrong at all."

_She is on a beach now and even so it is hot. Really hot. What's worse is that there doesn't seem to be any shade to be found anywhere. Wiping her brow with her forearm, she looked out to the ocean and wondered not for the first time where she was and what the heck she was doing there._

_ "__Here." A cowboy hat is put on her head. "One of these days you need to remember about a hat, woman." She looked over to see Sheldon sitting down next to her. He's in a plain white t-shirt, faded blue jeans, well worn cowboy boots, and wearing his own Stetson._

_ "__That's what I have you for," she said, smiling at him. This had his lips twisting in the smallest of grins._

_ "__Yes, in deed, problem is that you aren't my Penny," he told her._

_ "__Your Penny?" This had her puzzled. "I'm my own person, Sheldon."_

_ "__Yes, indeed you are," he told her. "You, my dear, are a force of nature. A hurricane on a cloud free day. You are the walking, talking equivalent of the Chaos theory." He lost his smile. "And that idiot Sheldon back where you're from doesn't know what he has in you." He looked into her eyes, trying to impress on her the importance of his next words. "You make him understand before it's too late."_

"Wait one second!" Sheldon demanded. "You expect me to believe that I would refer to myself as an idiot?"

"You've called me worse," pointed out Howard dryly.

"Me too," came from Penny. "In fact, I have to say the word 'idiot' is pretty low on the Sheldon Insult-o-meter."

"So true," said Raj. "When you get going there at times I need a dictionary and a thesaurus to keep up."

"How are you able to talk with Penny here, Raj?" Leonard asked him.

"I took a shot of tequila once I saw she was here," he answered and went on to inquire, "What is Penny telling Sheldon? It's a nice story, but…"

Sheldon's hand whipped out and pointed to Raj. "We don't have time for extensive explanations at this point. Jump on board or get out of the way!"

"Sheldon, calm down!" Leonard snapped. "Howard, there has to be a restaurant open 24/7 where we can pick up breakfast…"

"Not now Leonard," Sheldon told him. "Breakfast later!"

"Sheldon!" Penny snapped this time. She stood up, making him look at her. "I'm going to tell you this and I'm only going to say it once—They're going to get us all breakfast and once they get back, we're going to eat it. No debates, no negotiations. This is difficult enough as it is without the stress you're adding to it…" When he opened his mouth to talk, she pressed her fingers to his lips. "Don't they need to get the things that you wanted anyway? What about that list that you dictated to Raj?"

"Most of these things we can get from the school," Howard said quietly looking at the paper Raj was showing him. "As for breakfast…" His eyes flicked over to Sheldon. "He's the picky one on that front."

"I'm not hungry…" the tall whipcord lean physicist said tightly.

"Oh you'll eat," Penny said quietly. "You're going to eat or so help you, Sheldon, you'll never hear it all."

Eyes narrowing, he said nothing even as Howard and Leonard left to do the errands and pick up breakfast.

_It's night now. Fog is rolling in from somewhere. She hugged the sweater she was wearing all the tighter as she looked around to where she was. It looked like she was in a park of some sort. And after seeing a statue with German writing on its base, she wasn't even sure she was in the United States._

_ "__Penny!" She spun around to see Sheldon staggering between two men who she didn't know. "Penny, is that you?" He staggered over to her._

_The smell of booze wafted off of him and hit her before the man did, making them both nearly fall to the ground._

_ "__I did it! Penny, I did it! I won the Nobel Price…"_

_ "__Prize," she corrected him quietly, making him laugh even though it wasn't funny. "Why are you drinking?" When he didn't stop laughing, she tried to shake him. "Sheldon, you're drunk! You never drink! This isn't like you!"_

_He seemed to sober a little then. "Meemaw died. Mama died. You…" He pulled away from her. "You can't be here! You _can't_ be here!" He staggered away from her._

_ "__Sweetie, stop…"_

_ "__No! You're not here! I know it! You're not here! Go away!" _

_ "__Sheldon, calm down…"_

_And he ran away with the other two men running after him._

_Horrified Penny watched as he ran right in front of the bus. "Sheldon!"_

Her last word seemed to echo in the silent room. Penny was crying, Sheldon was looking out to the day beginning outside. Raj handed her tissues, watching them both like a hawk. This was so surreal, he thought, pulling out a tissue for himself and dabbed his eyes. Yes, he had cried, but then again from the looks of him so had Sheldon.

"Are you embellishing in any way, shape, or form?" Sheldon asked coldly. He turned to face her, face now a hard mask. "Are you?"

"No," she whispered, blowing her nose. "If only I were." Her tear flooded green eyes went to his icy blue ones, as she told him, "I can't unsee you die." That had Sheldon gasping in shock as well as Raj. Standing up, she said, "I need a break from this. I'm going to change into something decent. Raj, could you please keep an eye on Sheldon while I'm out."

Penny gasped as Sheldon grabbed her upper arm and snarled, "You make it sound as if I'm unstable without your presence! Well, I'll have you know that I've been surviving without you for a long time, woman."

"At the moment, I have no doubt whatsoever as to your longevity, Sheldon," she murmured, her voice cool. "It's mine that's in question."

TBC...

There you go! Another chapter is away. Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to read, follow/favorite, and review. Let me know what you think. Have a spectacular day everyone!


	3. Chapter 3

Hello! I hope everyone is having a good week. I've been enjoying the reviews. Needless to say, I've been eating them up like fine food. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

Please read and review.

**Chapter Three**

Leonard and Howard arrived back in time to see Penny ripping her arm away from a very terrified looking Sheldon and walk back to her apartment.

"What happened? We've only been gone for forty-five minutes!" Leonard exclaimed. "What did you do, Sheldon?"

"Nothing," he whispered. "I…I…think I'm going to be…" And he ran for the bathroom.

They looked over to Raj. His eyes were swollen and he said, "That last one was bad." He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "What's going on, Leonard? Tell me now or I'm out. I mean it."

"I don't know all the answers," he told him. "I'll tell you what I know—if that means anything." He took the breakfasts over to the kitchen and was taking them out of the bag, as he started with, "Penny had a dream…"

Penny got dressed as fast as she could, all the while staring at the booze on top of her refrigerator. Shoving her feet into the slippers, she went straight over to the fridge and opened the bottle thinking of downing the entire bottle of vodka. No, she thought, she had promised not to, hadn't she? Yeah, she had. One of the Sheldons had made her swear off booze.

_Life and you aren't anymore of anything you want with it. Trust me, darlin', I've seen what it can do. The booze is like unfulfilled dreams that way. All either of them leave is a bad taste and a headache the morning after. You're better than that._

Crying she tilted the bottle until it poured out into the sink. Each and every bottle went into the sink. It had been cheap booze. The crap just above the level of what a homeless person would have to drink. The drinking just made everything easier—well, until it didn't.

She finished with the last bottle and turned on the cold water, cupping her palms under the tap. Splashing it into her face made her feel nearly human again. Nearly. There was more, she thought, so much more. This was, after all, just the beginning.

Pulling herself together, she went back over to the other apartment and let herself in just as Leonard was pounding on the bathroom door. Sighing heavily, she went over and pushed him out of the way.

"Sheldon?" she called out, but had to clear her throat as her voice was so rough. "Please come out, sweetie. Breakfast is here. It's time to eat."

The door opened slowly and Sheldon looking like death warmed over came out, walking stiffly.

"Come eat breakfast," she cooed, pulling him gently over to his spot on the sofa. "I'll fix you a plate, you can complain about it and where it's from all you like, and I'll keep talking…"

"Not if it's all bad," he said in a low voice. "I can't take…"

She caressed his face, telling him, "It's not all bad. But I'm not going to lie and tell you it's all good either. You need to take a step back if only for a moment. You need to do that for you and for me." He looked at her intensely. "Because if you break, so will I." After hearing this, he sat up in his spot a little straighter. The southern gentleman in him, for once, coming to the forefront.

It was Raj who spoke first, asking, "So did you meet all the Sheldons out there?"

"May be not all of them," she answered, picking at her food. "A lot of them. I don't know." She shrugged. "The ones that I can recall clearly speaking to them about twelve of them, but I saw about fifty."

"Holy Hannah," Howard breathed.

She took another bite of food, but it might as well have been unflavored oatmeal as she wasn't able to taste a thing. Setting aside the food, she said, "And before you ask, they weren't all alike either." This caught Sheldon's attention.

"Like what?" Leonard asked. "How were they different?"

"There was one that was an underwater welder," she murmured. "He worked on an oilrig in the Gulf of Mexico. Cursed like a sailor, smoked like a chimney and drank like a fish." She smiled softly, adding, "And he quoted Shelley to me."

Affronted Sheldon leapt to his feet and demanded, "Poetry, Penny?!"

"I never mentioned which Shelley," she told him, laughing girlishly. "He quoted from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Sheldon's dramatic interpretation was a sight to behold."

_The wind was the first thing that she took note of. It was hard not to seeing as it was sending her long blond tresses straight into her eyes. The sting of salt water hit her nose at the same time she saw the deep, deep blue of the ocean going out as far as the eye could see. Turning around absently, she felt the metal of the oilrig before she saw it._

_ "__Whoa, there, little lady." He caught her by the waist before she could take a step. "You need to keep more of an eye…" His eyes went wide. "Penny?"_

_She looked up into his hard leathery face. He was too young to look that old, she thought, wondering just when this Sheldon had abandoned the sun block._

_ "__Hi, Sheldon," she whispered._

_His grin grew broad and white. "Now is that any way to say hello to a friend?"_

_He hugged her, welcoming her as if he had always done so just in that way—without fear, without thought, and mostly, without feelings. He may have known her and of her, but he felt nothing for her. And she got all that from this one hug._

_ "__I've been expecting you for awhile," he told her, pulling back and looking into her eyes. "At least one of you come on out here every now and again. Can't say I've much to add, but I don't mind the female company—if you get my drift."_

_ "__I doubt a deaf person could have missed your drift," she said, sounding pissed._

_That had him laughing. "That's good. You got fire in you. Spunk. I like that."_

"Wait! You mean to say there are Sheldons out there that have had sex?" Howard asked. "They aren't all asexual like Mr. Homo Novus here?"

She shook her head no, saying, "And I'm sure that there's other Howards out there that have had sex as well."

"Burn!" Raj crowed laughing along with Leonard.

"I've had sex," Howard said, looking uncomfortable.

"Excellent," Sheldon said tightly. "That makes you one to infinity to date."

This had Penny laughing and Howard blushing like mad even as he muttered, "Not funny, man. Way uncool."

"What I want to know is if you met other members of our group?" Leonard asked, sounding very curious.

"Yeah," she said, thinking it over. "You guys were around, but only really popped up every now and again."

"Were we ever married to each other?" Leonard asked, hope clear in his tones.

Penny picked up the food and began to eat again. "I'd rather not say."

"Oh come on! How bad could it be?" Raj inquired.

Penny went over to sit next to Sheldon, whispering frantically to him. After hearing her out, he looked over to his roommate and said, "I'm advising Penny against telling you anything about that or any other time period in which there was close contact between you. Do not ask, Leonard. I'll banish you if you do."

"You're making that up!" Leonard said sounding alarmed. "The way you're making it sound…" He looked over to Penny, who was now looking at him with haunted eyes. "Did you get hurt by me?" He looked to Sheldon. "I would never…"

"Yes," Sheldon said quietly. "_You_ would never. Please try to remember that, Leonard."

TBC...

There you go! Another chapter has hit the road, as it were. Thank you to all the people who have taken time out to read, follow/favorite and review. I'm trying to respond as quickly as possible to the reviews, but seeing as it is far to bright and early (not to mention this here writer is in serious need of coffee) I'm running late. Thanks again and have a wonderful day.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello one and all. Hope your day is going well. Here is the next chapter. Thank you for the reviews, follows, and favorites. They keep me honest.

Please read and review!

**Chapter Four**

"I think I'll have a beer…"

"Please don't." Penny's plea was soft, nearly begging him not to drink. "This is hard on all of us."

Looking at her alarmed, Sheldon asked, "Have you…" She shook her head no. "Do you swear on my Mother's God's Bible that you've had nothing to drink that is alcoholic in nature this morning?"

Turning to look at him, she said, "I'll even swear it on the Bible that your Meemaw gave you that you keep in the nightstand next to your bed."

Eyes narrowing, he demanded, "Who told you?"

Standing up, she very assuredly answered, "You did."

_Now she is in what could only be a church. It was empty with only one man sitting in the front of the room. If the body build and the severe hair cut didn't give him away, it would have been his voice. Sheldon was singing hymns._

_She walked over to him, sitting down a few rows behind him not wanting to disturb him. He turned finishing the song to her face. A chill went up her back as his creepy serial killer smile lingered on his face telling her that there was much more there than met the eyes._

_ "__Penelope," he murmured. "I should have known the good Lord would send you to me." He stood up and she along with him._

_ "__What for, Sheldon?" she whispered._

_ "__Why, to repent your sins, dear child," he said, moving closer to her._

_Or at least trying to as she wasn't letting him gain any ground with the actions she was taking._

_ "__There's no need to fear me," he told her. "I am but a messenger of the Lord our God and I am here to heal all of my brothers and sisters."_

_ "__Then where is your parish, Sheldon?"_

_A tick developed in his cheek and eye. Just then men were creeping up from behind dressed up like S.W.A.T. and looking ready to take him down._

_ "__What did you do?" she asked, horrified when she realized that his white shirt is dotted with blood._

_ "__Why are you so scared, Penelope?" He pulled out a .45 mm Beretta "Have you sinned as well?" Sighing heavily. "How you disappoint me…" _

_He was tackled from behind, pinned to the ground. Sheldon was yelling and screaming that he was only doing the work of the lord. He was lifted off of his stomach snarling and cursing._

_Sheldon looked straight at Penny hissing, "I thought I killed you, woman."_

_ "__Ma'am? Ma'am?" She looked to the officer talking to her. It was Raj. "Penny? We thought you were dead!" He hugged her. "How did you get away? Was that your twin sister that he killed?" He pulled back. "Never mind that. We have better get you to see a doctor…"_

_ "__Are they all dead?" she whispered. "The entire parish?"_

_He took a deep breath, but couldn't say the words. All he could do was nod yes._

"Why tell me that?" Sheldon yelled. "I asked you how you knew…"

"Because it would have been really weird having to explain after the fact the reasoning behind creepy killer Sheldon being on death row in Texas when he told me where you would always keep your Bible, that's why!" she snapped, getting to her feet she went to him and told him, "Remember what you told Leonard. _You_ wouldn't do that, Sheldon." She took his hands, trying as she might to telegraph that to him. "Never."

He squeezed her hands back, whispering, "Thank you, Penny. I…" He looked to the others, his longtime friends, who were still looking at him with horror in their eyes. "We all needed the reminder of that as well, it would seem."

"Hey!" Raj crowed, looking around. "Something just occurred to me! I was the hero in that one!"

"And you could talk to women without booze too!" Leonard exclaimed, holding up his hand for a high five. "Way to go!"

"Are they really…" Penny whispered to Sheldon as they watched the odd celebration.

"Yes, but then again I'm shocked it hasn't happened sooner," he replied dryly.

Everyone called in sick that day. Everyone that is except for Penny who decided to quit her job at the Cheesecake Factory with Sheldon's encouragement.

He pulled her aside into his room, telling her once the door was closed, "Quit."

"What?"

"Quit your working there," he told her. "I know you have no reason to trust me…"

"I trust you," she said, interrupting him.

Blinking at her in amazement, he asked, "You do?"

Nodding she said, "Yes, I trust you. I trust you with everything in me or am."

Dazed by her answer, he breathed, "Why?"

She went over and sat down on his bed, half expecting him to start demanding she get off of it, but never said a word.

"When I came running over here with this crazy story at three in the morning and ended up writing down the equation that you and every other String Theorist has been working on since goodness knows when…"

"It started…"

"I could care less," she cut in. "When I did that, you didn't call the police or take me to a funny farm…"

"There's nothing funny about those farms," he mumbled, but said nothing else on that point.

"What I'm getting at is, Sheldon, you trusted me enough to honestly listen to and believe my every word—even the painful ones."

He sat down next to her. Absently he took up her left hand, tracing the place she would wear a wedding band on her ring finger. "Were we ever married?"

"More than a few times," she stated, watching as he seemed to take stock of her digits and palm. "Lived in sin during others." That had him snorting with laughter. "Your mother didn't like that much."

"Sounds about right," he replied. "Did…" The query seemed to stick in his throat. "Did we ever have progeny?"

"I don't know," she told him. "I never saw any of them, if we did."

"You know I'm quite shocked that you didn't seem to run across yourself in any of these nocturnal adventures of yours."

Penny worried her lower lip, turning away from him as she did so.

Frowning, he asked, "What aren't you telling me?"

"Does it matter?" she asked weakly, wishing he would drop it.

"Of course it matters! It would be like discounting one of the laws of motion because you might not think it applies. Well, it applies, sister! It applies!"

Standing up, she asked, "Don't you get it yet? After everything I've told you, you still don't understand?"

"Understand what?" he asked intensely.

"I'm it, Sheldon," she told him. "I'm the last Penny."

TBC...

And another chapter is in the wind. Take care and be sure to have yourselves a fantastic day!


	5. Chapter 5

Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

Please read and review!

**Chapter Five**

"_NO!_"

It was Sheldon's cry of horror mingled with pain and disbelief that had the others running to his room. They opened the door to see Sheldon on his knees, hugging Penny by her waist as he pressed his face against her stomach. She combed her fingers through his hair, caressing his face and shoulders.

"Sheldon…"

"I refuse to believe it," he muttered against her. "Refuse! Do you hear me?" He looked up into her eyes or tried at least. "Look at me!" She did. He stood up, saying in a hard voice, "I absolutely refuse to believe that the spark known as Penny has died out everywhere but in this time and place. You have been shown more than most ordinary mortals have even dared hoped to see…" He caged her face with his hands, hoping she didn't feel them trembling. "That in itself, Penelope, means something! It must!"

"But everywhere I went," she whispered. "I never saw me or…they were…dead…!" She sobbed, hugging Sheldon. "Am I wrong?"

"Most assuredly you are," he said, looking with tear filled eyes to their sorrowful friends. "And you will continue to be wrong for many years to come."

_Laughter. Sunshine. A couple at play. The smell of summer grass is floating through the air along with the moisture of an oncoming rainstorm. She is walking up the small grass covered hill hand in hand with her lover, feeling the long grass against her legs and feet. The summer dress she is wearing was being tossed about by the winds as she looked out to the sun setting off on the horizon._

_The man stops, turns, and kisses her…_

"Was it me?" came from Raj, Howard, and Leonard.

Standing and walking so that he was in front of Penny so that all three of them had a good look at him, Sheldon glared at them. The threat was clear in his posturing and hard blue eyes.

"Sheldon," Penny murmured dryly. "Stop scaring the children."

"Why mention this kiss, Penny?" Sheldon asked, turning his hard eyes to hers.

"Because after it happened, I felt…clean," she told him. "New." Penny stood up. "May I use your bathroom?"

"Of course," Sheldon said, thinking over what she had just told them.

"Why did she feel the need to ask to use the bathroom? She knows she's welcome to do her business when she wants…" Leonard said, trying to figure out why Penny was acting so differently.

Rolling his eyes, Sheldon turned to him. "It's called common courtesy, Leonard. You might study the practice of it on some occasion when you have extra time during your day—like when at work."

"Will you please stop making digs at my occupation?!" Leonard exclaimed. "You know when it comes time to test that formula on that white board…" He turned and looked at the white board. "It's gone!"

"Well of course it is, Leonard," Sheldon said quietly. "You didn't think I was going to leave it up there where just any person can see it, do you?" He sat down on his spot. "It's rather silly to think one would leave a formula of that magnitude unattended."

"But…" Sheldon tapped his head. "Right. I forgot we were dealing with a walking computer here…"

"Don't call him that, Leonard," Penny murmured, as she rejoined them.

Sheldon gave his roommate a smug little smile.

"And knock it off, Sheldon or I'm calling your mom again," Penny went on, making his face fall.

"Tattling achieves nothing, Queen Penelope," he hissed.

"Oh yes, it achieves quite a bit," she told him. "It reminds you to be more humble and I really enjoy that small moment of silence between the time you take the receiver saying hello and say, 'Yes, Ma'am'."

"You're being such a something I'm not allowed to say," Sheldon muttered.

"I can be," she admitted quietly.

"You know what just occurred to me?" Howard said. "You've never mentioned any times that you were thought of as mean or evil or just a really bad girl!" This last was accompanied by the giggling of the other two. Those three would make great thirteen year old girls, was all she could think.

A flush filled Penny's face. "I really don't want…"

"We want!" shot back three of the four men.

Looking to Sheldon, he nodded and she murmured, "It's not what you think it is."

_The heavy bass of the music is hammering through the floor boards, up through her feet. The jam of people around her is making her feel claustrophobic. Somewhere within her she knows she should be used to this atmosphere and crush of bodies, moving to the primitive rhythms. And perhaps she is, but not now. It's too much noise, sweat, skin…The smell of soured booze within the confines of perspiration is making her ill and all she wants in that very moment is to get away from that place that reminds her of one too many nights doing shots of whatever was the cheapest liquor is with men she hardly if ever knew._

_Penny was trying to leave when someone grabbed her hand and pulled. It was yanking her so hard it hurt her shoulder, but she didn't say anything as the one doing the yanking was getting her where she wanted to be—out of that place._

_When they arrived outside, the beat lessened and she could feel the air fill her lungs as if for the first time. She inhaled, perhaps too sharply, as she managed to take in a gulping breath of the smoke from the stand of people outside getting their fix of nicotine. Everything was so damn overwhelming! This place was just too…much. She closed her eyes and just wished out of that place, but no, it wasn't happening. She wasn't leaving._

_ "__Drunk again?" Sheldon's quiet voice cut through, making her look over at him wondering what he seemed to be so mad at._

_ "__What?"_

_ "__I asked if you were intoxicated once again," he inquired, his eyes filled with a bleakness she had never seen there before._

_ "__No," she answered, making him laugh bitterly._

_ "__You expect me to believe that? You've lied to me and everyone else so many times…" She went over to him and breathed into his face._

_Disbelief warred with hope there if only for the barest of moments before…_

_ "__Do you know how many pathogens you just breathed onto me? Oh my lord! With any luck the booze you drink on a daily basis would have killed off…" And that's when they both heard the sirens off in the distance getting louder, coming closer._

_ "__The Doppler Effect," they both whispered together absently._

_He looked at her alarmed. "How do you know?"_

_ "__You told me," she said. "You came to that costume party at my apartment dressed as the Doppler Effect, remember?"_

_ "__I recall it perfectly," he said, looking at her oddly. "But I'm wondering how you could, seeing as you drank so much that night as to be taken to the hospital."_

_ "__Your Penny was, I wasn't." A sickness filled her gut as the emergency people pushed into the club with all the instruments required to bring a person out of death. "I'm not of this place, Sheldon. I'm not your Penny." The dread became a stone within her gut. "But I could be, so easily…"_

_He went over to her, grabbing her arms and making her look him in the eyes. "You are speaking nonsense, woman!"_

_ "__Perhaps, and perhaps it's that thing you keep telling everyone about. That thing with the multi-verses, remember? You keep talking about how there's a lot of places just like this one with people using our names, but aren't the same," she told him. "There's a lot of stuff out there, Sheldon, not even you know it all." She looked to the stars. "So many places, each a little different, each one making me wonder a little more…" She turned to see a black body bag being carted out of the club. "I think that's your Penny there." He looked over and gasped in horror. _

_He ran over, demanding to see the body. Screaming at the emergency personnel to do something once he sees it in fact is Penny on that gurney. Sobbing in a heartfelt grief that none would have thought he would or could ever express._

_And then he looked straight at her. "I'm so sorry, Sheldon."_

TBC...

And that was chapter five. Thanks again for reading and have a great day.


	6. Chapter 6

Hello again! Thank you to everyone that's taken the time to review, favorite and followed. Here we go again! Enjoy.

Please read and review!

**Chapter Six**

The slamming of the door snapped everyone out of the story. Penny half expected it to have been Sheldon that was the one that ran off, but no—it had been Leonard. They could hear him cursing from the hall, the scramble of keys, the juggle and search for the one he was trying to find.

"Do you think I should tell him my door is unlocked?" Penny asked of no one in particular.

There was a doorknob rattling and a curse outside.

"I think he just discovered that," Raj murmured, wiping his eyes free of the tears. "I don't know when the last time I cried this much. I think it was when I saw the movie 'Terms of Endearment'."

"You're such a girl," Howard said, but then blew into a tissue. But when all three of them there just looked at him, he explained, "Allergies."

None of the other three believed him.

Leonard came slamming back into the apartment, asking, "Who dumped out all of Penny's liquor?"

Sheldon's eyes flicked over to Penny, but said nothing. Raj and Howard looked to each other and shrugged in answer.

"Sheldon?"

"It wasn't me," he said quietly, watching Penny's fingers plucking at her own jeans.

"Penny?" She nodded. "You threw out your own booze?"

"Yes," she murmured, refusing to look up.

Looking to the empty bottle, he looked back over to her. "Why?"

Clearing her throat she murmured, "I promised…"

"Sheldon, right?" Leonard demanded. "Just because you had a dream—a figment of your imagination…" He remembered the equation she had no business writing out and cursed to himself. "Why for him? Why not me? I'm the one you dated! I'm the one that loved you! Why couldn't it be me?!"

Anger, a fury long suppressed came bubbling up out of her. "Because you never wanted me! Any pretty girl would have done for you!" She stood up her hands in fists. "And if I was drunk, all the better, isn't that right, Leonard? Because if I was just the stupid, drunk party girl, I could forget I was worth more than the label you put on me! And yes, I promised that other Sheldon, but I was also promising myself. Because I don't want to end up a dead party girl who drank herself to death or a dead stripper murdered in an alleyway or just another crack smoking hooker in Hollywood…" Leonard's eyes filled with horror at what she said. "So yeah, I promised him, but I did it for me!"

She ran out of the apartment, leaving them all too overwhelmed to think. All of them except Sheldon.

"Leonard," he breathed. "This was never about you." And he left to go find the one woman who had all the answers.

She had made the phone call to the Cheesecake Factory. Told them in a flat voice that was more reminiscent of Amy Farrah Fowler that she quit and wouldn't be showing up for her last two weeks of work. It was simple. It was heart breaking as well. But it was done and she hung up the phone in time to feel eyes on her watching.

She looked over to see Sheldon on the sofa next to her. Both of them were silent, sitting there in the emotional heaviness of the day.

"What now?" she asked, hoping and praying to get a break of some sort.

He moved close to her, began to rub her back counterclockwise and sang "Soft Kitty" to her. Smiling she rested her head on his shoulder and for that moment just breathed.

They had ordered Thai to be delivered for lunch, as none of the drivers there were in the mood to pick it up and no one had the energy it would seem to tolerate outside company. It wasn't until everyone was settled in that Howard took note of a shift of sorts. Penny, who usually sat down in whatever space was available went to sit next to Sheldon.

This wasn't in itself odd or off putting, it was how they were communicating without words that seemed unusual. They passed utensils, condiments, napkins, and never once did they say anything to each other.

"Okay, am I missing something here?" Howard asked, looking to the others there. "Why are they so…complimentary to each other all of a sudden?"

Thinking it over, Sheldon whispered, "Fascinating." He looked over to Penny. "I do believe Howard is correct in his estimation that we are in fact 'complimentary'."

Leonard had expected Penny to misunderstand or at least get mad at the terminology. But all she did was nod, as she finished up the bite in her mouth.

"That's what the last Sheldon I saw told me too," she said, her voice sounding calm for the first time that day. "Told me that even though we might not end up in a personal relationship paradigm that we would always be the closest of friends. And that if and when I did search out the 'perfect mate'…" she used air quotes just as his counterpart had. "…that chances were better for Sheldon and myself to make a lifelong partnership in and out of the bedroom." She frowned. "And he said it was for obvious reasons, blowing me off when I asked why."

It was Sheldon that choked on his food, excusing himself from the group and practically running back to his bedroom. Leaning against the door, he thought it over. Complimentary. In and out of bed. A partnership. A completeness. In bed. With Penny. Coitus.

"Oh my lord!" he hissed to himself at the thought of her in his bed. Just the imagery in his mind of her in that place, where he never allowed anyone other than himself, had his heart hammering faster than a subatomic particle blasting through a particle accelerator.

Taking a deep breath again, he focused his considerable mental facilities on the problem at hand. And the solution, though banal and rather mundane by anyone else's standards, was for him a revelation. He straightened up and went back outside, sitting down in his spot.

"Doing okay, sweetie?" Penny asked, watching him taking up his pad Thai again.

"I'm well, Penny," he murmured. "Thank you for asking. It just occurred to myself that I must start my courtship ritual with you as quickly as possible to avoid another male of my species from attempting mating rights with you."

Penny just stared at him for a moment before saying, "You do know that speech coming out of any other man's mouth would have him hog tied, right?"

"Yes, Penny," he murmured, as he continued eating his food.

"Why don't you hog tie him?" Howard asked. "I'd like to see it and I'm sure we can make a collection to pay for you to do it." He looked to Raj and Leonard who both nodded reluctantly in the affirmative.

"Yeah, but we're talking about Sheldon," she said, going back to eating. "That for him is his idea of romantic."

They all looked over to him to find the tall man blushing and giving a genuine smile to the woman next to him. It was truly turning out to be a very odd day.

TBC...

And there it went, another chapter out and about, as it were. Thank you for reading. Your time means a lot and the fact that you're using to read this means the world to me. Have a spectacular day!


	7. Chapter 7

Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

Please read and review.

**Chapter Seven**

It was night by the time they reached the last part of the dream. Penny was exhausted and her throat hurt to speak. She wanted to lay down and forget she could by memory write down the formula that would make or break a career. She wanted to dream of becoming a star and winning awards and…

No, she thought, it wasn't going to happen. Waitressing to pay the bills and auditions were fine and well, but was it enough? The only answer she had was a resounding no. And that, she reasoned, was why it had hurt as much as it did to quit the Cheesecake Factory. It was not only acknowledging that stardom wasn't going to be happening for her, but accepting it as well. What now?

"What?" Leonard asked. "What was that?"

She blinked up at him. "I spoke?"

"Yes," Sheldon murmured, coming over to her with a hot mug of tea. "This will help your throat. It sounds sore."

"Thank you," she said quietly and proceeded to sip on it.

Stretching Raj inquired, "How many more to go?"

"Just one more," she answered.

This had them all looking to each other and back to her, waiting for what was coming next.

_She is now laying down on a powder blue and tan laminate floor that had seen better days. Penny felt exhausted. How could one feel so damn tired when they were in fact sleeping? She hadn't a clue, nor at this point, is she curious enough to ask anyone with the know-how. It felt like she had been walking for a year and something told her the journey was far from being finished._

_ "__How many times do I have to tell you that my lecture hall is not a place for proper sleep, Penelope," Sheldon said as he walked into the room, turning on the lights._

_Squinting at the brightness, she tried to get up. But when she nearly fell back, she was caught by two strong hands._

_ "__My, my, I do believe you're new here," he said casually. "New comers are usually made quite tired by the travel. Come along, Penelope. That's a girl, now sit right here." He sat her down in the front row, kneeling so that he could look into her green eyes. "Hello."_

_She smiled at him. "Hi."_

_ "__I take it you've come a long way," he stated to which she nodded. "I figured as much. And what have you to say about it?"_

_ "__They will never believe me," she murmured. "None of them. Chances are Howard and Raj will stop talking to me and Leonard will try to have me thrown into a funny farm…"_

_ "__Nothing funny about those," he muttered._

_ "__Exactly," she affirmed. "And you'll just look at me like another little mind going off a big cliff." She sighed heavily. "And in the end, it would have been for what? Nothing, because no one that I know of tends to listen to people they think are crazy."_

_He studied her a moment. "Very true that statement, but what if I gave you a gift to prove that you're telling them the truth."_

_She snorted to herself. "It's not like I can show them anything you give me. I can't exactly take it with me."_

_Laughing he stood up and went over to the whiteboard. "This is a gift of thought. It can be taken over and shown just as easily as a napkin." He smiled bigger. "I still have that, by the way." He wrote out the formula, the equation in full along with the diagram. Putting the pen down, he looked over to her. "Do you know what this is?"_

_ "__Haven't a clue," she replied, looking over to him. "Sorry, sweetie."_

_Smiling he said, "That's fine, Penelope." Looking over to it, he said, "That is what I've been working on most of my adult life…"_

_ "__String theory? You did it? You came up with the answers you were looking for?"_

_He nodded, making her give him a big smile. _

_ "__That's great, Sheldon! Congratulations!"_

_ "__Thank you, darlin'," he drawled, smiling just as big as she was. "It's everything…" He held up his hand stopping her from getting up. "But it's not the only thing that matters, Penny. It took me years to find that out. A lot of years and a lot of different Pennys coming and going for me to find that out."_

_ "__Have you…" she looked at the equation and graph. "Have you ever given this to any of the other Pennys?"_

_He nodded. "That I did. Some took it and ran. Others turned their backs on it, wanting nothing to do with it." Looking over to her, he caressed her face with lean fingers. "You're the first to ever ask if you were the first to receive it though. I do believe I like that." He went to his bag, pulling out a marker and handing it over to her. "Get to work memorizing it, Penny. If you need help or have any questions, let me know. I might step out from time to time, but I'm always here." There were footsteps in the back of the room, calling his attention. "You better get to work. You don't have much time."_

_She looked at the marker and discovered that it was a pink Hello Kitty marker for the dry erase board. Smiling to herself, she got to work._

"He was the one I spoke to the most," she said. "The one that listened to me complain about how my career was going nowhere and I didn't know what to do about it. He made me promise to cut back, if not stop my drinking. Made me write that damn formula until I thought my hand would bleed for real. And he was the last one I saw before coming here." She looked straight at Sheldon. "To you."

They all looked at her massaging her hands in a nervous gesture. Sheldon went over to her, taking them both into his own.

"That's it?" Raj asked, relaxing back. "Wow! What a ride!"

"I need a drink," Howard said, getting up. "Raj? Leonard?"

"I'm beat," Raj told him, walking towards the door. "I'm going home and crashing. What a day!"

"I'm just…" He looked at them just sitting there saying nothing. "I could use coffee. Let's go to Starbucks."

They sat there in silence for what felt like forever. Neither knew what to say or how to say it. Sheldon was never one to speak on personal matters having no clue what to say and Penny by this time didn't want to say anything at all. And so they sat, holding and studying each other's hands without uttering a word.

Half an hour later Sheldon stood up, resolve in place and knowing what to do. Pulling Penny to her feet, he gently tugged her over to his bedroom, and shut the door behind them.

TBC...

And we're nearly to the end of our journey. There's just the epilogue to go. Thank you and have a great day!


	8. Epilogue

And here we are at the end of our incredible journey. Thanks to everyone that's taken this ride with me. It's been a hoot.

Please read and review!

**Epilogue**

_Walking into the lecture hall, he stopped and looked about. Penny was at the whiteboard complaining that she hated math and that there was no way she was going to remember all of the numbers. He turned his head and saw…himself._

_Sheldon smiled at the newcomer at the entranceway, looking at him with an emotionless mask in place._

_ "__Greetings," he said. "Come to observe your Penny?"_

_They looked over to the woman, who had now stopped writing and was massaging her hand._

_ "__No, my Penny was here approximately two years ago," he told him. "The dream had a very big impact on us both."_

_ "__I'm sure it did," he replied. "And what news do you bring?"_

_ "__She left out part of the equation," he told his counterpart. "It appeared to be complete, but it wasn't."_

_This only had the other man laughing. "I couldn't give away the entire answer, now could I? Where would the fun in that be?"_

_Smiling the visitor said, "Point made."_

_ "__So how is your Penny?"_

_ "__She is doing well," he said, a small unknown smile bloomed on his face. "She and I are living together, much to my mother's consternation. But I have eased her mind as I have asked Meemaw if I could give Penny her engagement ring when time comes to ask. Which will be in approximately two years when Penny receives her business degree."_

_ "__Very good," he murmured. "And her drinking?"_

_ "__Though she still consumes alcohol, she does so only in small quantities and only on special occasions for the most part," he said, explaining with, "Howard and Bernadette's wedding and Leonard and Amy's wedding, not to mention Raj's hand fasting with a very odd man he met at the circus."_

_Frowning Sheldon murmured, "Fascinating."_

_ "__Indeed," he replied, looking at his pocket watch. "I best be on my way. My Penny will be waking soon and my morning with Dr. Who and cereal will begin. Good luck to you, sir."_

_ "__To you as well…" Just then another Penny came into the classroom, looking to them both._

_ "__Mine?" she asked. "I'm too tired to figure it out."_

_ "__That would be me, darlin'." He walked over to her, kissing her lips lightly._

_ "__I missed you," she murmured. "I'm tired and our little girl seems determined to make my bladder a trampoline."_

_ "__You need some real sleep, Penelope." His hand covered the woman's obviously pregnant middle. "Try? For me?"_

_ "__Okay," she sighed, and waddled back out of the room._

_Once the other woman left the room, he said, "I'm glad to have seen them both."_

_Frowning the first Sheldon asked, "Why is that?"_

_He explained how his Penny had thought all the other Pennys were dead and how she was the last one. Looking sad now, he shook his head no._

_ "__She only went out to see a mere fraction of the multi-verses," he told him. "Even just one small measure of this universe is much grander…"_

_Looking up, they saw space in its vast wonder, galaxies and planets, stars and moons, and pondered the greatness of it all…_

The end

Sigh. And that, as they say, is it. Thank you. This has been a blast from the past for me. It's been two years nearly to the day from the time I first finish posting it on another site. And I've been loving every minute of it. Thanks again and have a marvelous day.


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